Chapel of Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted - Hilvarenbeek

The whitewashed brick chapel ‘Maria Troosteres der bedrukten’ (Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted) stands along the main road from Diessen to Hilvarenbeek. Although this chapel is a war memorial, its construction has a joyful background.

In June 1945, approximately sixty emaciated school children from Amsterdam arrived in Hilvarenbeek. They came here to recuperate after the 1945 hunger winter in their German-occupied city. They left again after six weeks, having gained a lot of weight thanks to their stay in the countryside. The young people's chaperones decided to build a chapel in gratitude for the hospitality they had received. Stones were brought in carts from a farm in Loo that had been set on fire by the Germans and chipped clean by the schoolchildren on the spot. Skilled workers from Beek finally built the chapel.

In the summer of 1945, the chapel was consecrated and dedicated to Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted. A simple blue stone plaque has been placed in the chapel in memory of all those who fell in the Second World War in the municipality of Hilvarenbeek and the former municipality of Diessen.

In the 1960s, the chapel was thoroughly refurbished because various used bricks continued to give off soot. Now it is a beautiful and peaceful refuge for visitors seeking spiritual tranquillity. The chapel ‘Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted’ remains an important reminder of the events of the Second World War and the hopeful message of peace and reconciliation.